Check Out Your Options for Getting to Bay to Breakers

As one San Mateo , it’s going to be tough just getting to this weekend’s Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco, never mind actually running in it.

Or, as she put it: “Your race actually starts with your alarm clock.”

Luckily, Caltrain and BART trains will be operating early and often Sunday to help Peninsula runners get to and from the event, which promises to be in its 100-year history.

The race begins at Howard and Spear streets in San Francisco at 7 a.m. Sunday, an hour earlier than in previous years.

BART will begin running trains at 5 a.m. Sunday. On the Peninsula, the Millbrae and Daly City stations will be operating early, opening 20 minutes before the first trains depart to allow patrons to buy tickets.

Before 8 a.m., trains are scheduled to arrive every 20 minutes. Those early trains will also have extra cars.

BART officials said the best stations for runners to use are the Embarcadero and Montgomery Street stops in downtown San Francisco. Both are a few blocks from the Bay to Breakers starting line. They also warn runners that shoes and proper attire are required on trains. In other words, you may have to wear more than your costume on the trains.

For those taking Caltrain, it will be offering special early trips so that participants can arrive by the 7 a.m. start time. The first train will leave from the Mountain View station at 5:10 a.m. and depart express to the San Francisco station, arriving at 6:08 a.m.

The other three trains will depart from San Jose Diridon and arrive in San Francisco by 6:40 a.m. The B Train will depart at 5:20 a.m., the C Train at 5:25 a.m. and the D Train at 5:30 a.m.

No trains will be leaving from the Santa Clara station this year due to construction work being done. Transit authorities are encouraging riders to arrive early to make sure they have a ticket to board the trains.

The San Francisco Caltrain station is about 1.4 miles from the starting line at the Embarcadero. Riders can take the Muni T-Third light-rail line directly to the race.

To return home after the race, two express trains will leave San Francisco for San Carlos at 1:10 p.m. and 2:10 p.m.